Do it yourself: How to change your car engine oil?
Changing your car engine oil is one of the simplest jobs you can do it yourself and can save you both time and money.
Before you start you will need to make sure you have the correct engine oil, correct engine oil filter, correct tools and empty container to collect the old engine oil . Your motor factor/parts shop will advise you on these.
The first thing you need to do is run the engine for 5 minutes to warm the oil. Cold oil takes forever to drain and you'll never get it all out.
Place chocks behind the rear wheels, jack the front of the car up and support it with axle stands. Never get underneath a vehicle that isn't properly supported. You may think it will never happen to you but I personally know two people who have been crushed and killed by falling cars.
If the car has a plastic cover or metal bash plate underneath the engine, remove this. Keep the screws together in a small box, this will save them from getting kicked around the floor and being lost.
Now you're ready to remove the sump bung. Place your empty container underneath and slowly screw the bung out. Be ready to move the container to catch the stream of oil and be careful as it will be warm. Also make sure the container will be large enough to hold all the engine oil.
When the engine oil has finished draining, clean the bung, replace the copper washer (there should be one supplied with the new filter or ask your motor factor for one) and screw the bung back into the sump and tighten. Do not over tighten or you may strip the threads resulting in a leak. It's better still if you use a torque wrench but if you don't have one, it doesn't matter, just tight it nicely with reasonable hand force.
Next you need to remove the old engine oil filter. If it is a metal spin on filter, use a filter strap, chain or other filter tool to unscrew it. When you have removed it, keep it the right way up. If you turn it upside down, you will end up with oil all over your nice clean floor. Take a smear of new oil on your fingertip, rub it onto the rubber gasket on the new filter and screw the filter on. You don't need to use a tool to fit the filter, just tighten it tightly by hand. If the car has a paper cartridge type filter, remove the lid of the housing and withdraw the filter. Remove the filter from the housing and dispose of it. Clean the lid. You will notice some rubber o-rings along with your new filter, change the old ones for these and smear the new ones with some fresh oil. Fit the new filter into the lid and screw it back into the housing taking care not to over tighten it.
If your car has a plastic cover underneath, refit it. Aren't you glad you kept those screws in a little box?
Next, jack the car up again, remove the axle stands and place the car back on the ground.
Remove the oil filler cap and pour in the new oil. If you're worried about spilling, it may help to use a funnel. Unless you know the specific quantity of oil the car requires, fill a little at a time and keep checking the oil level on the dipstick until it reaches MAX. Start the car, wait 20-30 seconds and switch off. Wait a couple of minutes and check the oil level on the dipstick again. If you need more, add it but be careful not to overfill. Too much engine oil can do as much damage as too little. Start and run the car and check for leaks, there shouldn't be any if you have done everything right.
Remember to dispose of the old oil and filter responsibly. Don't dump old oil down drains, it harms the environment.
If you have everything you need to hand before you start, this should all take you around twenty minutes. Don't worry even if it takes you an hour though, it's not a race and enjoy doing something by yourself for the first time.
**DISCLAIMER** This is only a basic guide to changing oil and filter. I accept no responsibility for any damage or harm caused by anyone changing their own car engine oil. Before you start, I recommend you read about changing oil for your specific model of car as per the car owners manual. There should be plenty of information online about it. I only seek to demonstrate how easy it can be.
